Former India cricket team manager arrested in Goa for alleged fraud

He has been charged for misappropriation of money and allegedly forging signatures.

Goa Cricket Association (GCA) President Chetan Desai (C), secretary Balu Phadke and treasurer Akbar Mulla being taken away by Economic Offense Cell of Goa Police in connection with a misappropriation case in Panaji, on June 15, 2016.IANS

Chetan Desai, the chairman of the BCCI marketing committee, has been arrested by the Economic Offence Cell (EOC) of the Goa Police for alleged fraud on Wednesday. Desai, along with Goa Cricket Association (GCA) secretary Vinod Phadke and treasurer Akbar Mulla, have been charged for the alleged misappropriation of a BCCI cheque worth Rs. 2.87 crore, reported the Times of India.

Desai is also the incumbent GCA president, while Phadke was a former manager for the India cricket team during an ODI series against South Africa in 2015.

The trio allegedly enchashed the amount, which was the subsidy from BCCI's TV rights in 2006, Shekhar Salkar, the acting president of the Goa Cricket Association (November 2014 to June 2015), told ESPN Cricinfo.

"Phadke pretended to be the president, Desai was the secretary and Mulla as treasurer. The cheque was realised on April 13, 2007," stated Salkar. "The three accused then started to withdraw amounts and emptied the account by March 29, 2008. So it did not reflect in the balance sheet."

The FIR against the trio was filed by GCA life member Vilas Dessai earlier this month, claiming they had forged signatures and opened bank accounts to siphon GCA's money. Desai, Phadke and Mulla have been booked under section 408 (criminal breach of trust by clerk or servant), 419 (cheating by personation), 463 (forgery), 464 (making false documents), 471 (using as genuine a forged), 420 (cheating), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and other sections of the Indian penal code.